Overhead carrier.



J. G. LUND. OVERHEAD CARRIER. APPLIOATIOH TILBD MAY 16, 1910.

Patented Apr; 4, `1 9'11..

y lnvenfcor J/zZZ/Z,

Attorneys JOHN G. LUND, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

OVERHEAD CARRIER.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed 'May 16, 1910. Serial No. 561,761.

.To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, JOHN G. LUND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and Stateof'Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Overhead Carrier, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to overhead carriers for conveying litter and thelike and its object is to provide a device of this character which isespecially adapted for making short turns.

Another object is to provide a novel form of carriage for supporting thebucket or receptacle from the supporting rail or cable, said carriagebeing so constructed as to travel smoothly along the rail or cable andalong the switch provided at the turns.

A still further object is to provide improved means for tripping thebucket or receptacle locking lever at the point where the dumping is totake place, the tripping device being so constructed. as to maintain itsposition upon the wire without the necessity of clamping or otherwisesecuring it thereto.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings z--Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conveyerconstructed in accordance with the present invention a portion of one ofthe hangers being shown in section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of thesaid conveyer, the cable or rail being shown in section. Fig. 3 is aplan view of a switch on which the carriage is adapted to travel, saidcarriage being shown in position thereon, the bucket or receptacle beingremoved. Fig. l is a perspective view showing the manner of connectingthe switch to the rail or cable. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on lineA-B Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of one of the supporting wheelsand its yoke.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates asupporting cable or rail adapted to be stretched along a straight lineand secured at its ends, one end of this rail or cable, whichconstitutes a portion of the track over which the carriage hereinafterdescribed is adapted to travel, being i l l extended over another railor cable constituting a continuation of the track and which has beenindicated at 2 in Fig. 3. The adjoining portions of the two tracksections are adapted to be connected by an arcuate switch member 3 theends of which are preferably channeled as shown at f1 and embrace thesections 1 and 2, there being rivets, bolts or the like extendedtherethrough as at 5 for the purpose of clamping said clianneledportions upon the sections 1 and 2.

The carrier constituting the present invention includes a bucket orreceptacle 6 which can be of any preferred construction and hastrunnions 7 pro'ecting from the ends thereof at points o center and intothe lower end portions of hangers 8. These hangers extend downwardlyfrom the ends of a cross strip 9 and may, if desired, be formed integraltherewith. One of the hangers is preferably provided with longitudinallyextending side flanges 10 and a slot 11 is formed in said hanger at apoint adjacent but above one of the trunnions 7 A lever 12 is fulcrumedupon the cross strip 9 as indicated at413 and is extended downwardlywithin the channel formed between the flanges 10, there being a lockingnger 14 at the lower end of this lever and which is movably mountedwithin the slot 11. A downwardly extending lug 15 is preferably formedat the free end of the finger 14C and is adapted to be normally seatedwithin a notch 16 formed at the center of a cam plate 17. This cam plateis arcuate as shown in Fig. 2 and is secured to one end of the bucket orreceptacle 6. Obviously, as long as the finger 14 is seated within thenotch 16 the bucket 6 is prevented from swinging upon its trunnion 7. Byreason of the peculiar construction of the lever 12 the inger 14 isnormally held by gravity within the notch 16. The upper end of the lever12 is bowed as indicated at 1S and is adapted to move against a trip ofnovel construction. As shown in Fig. 1, this trip consists of a U-shapedmember 19 which is slidably mounted on the track 1 and has a block 20pivotally mounted therein below the track. This block has upwardlydiverging gripping fingers 21 integral therewith and a downwardlyextending forked actuating member 22 disposed normally in thepath of thebowed portion 1S of lever 12.

A substantially A-shaped hanger 23 1s s ecured to the middle portion ofthe cross strip 9 and is bowed vertically as shown particularly in Fig.5 so as to bring the upper portion thereof into position nearly invertical alinement with the track l. A stud24 exmined point, the memberthe tracks until it arrives 1s not necessary to 19 is slipped along atsaid point. It secure the same in place tends laterally from the upperportion of vthe carrier approaches the tripping device,

this-hanger and overhangs the track,Y there being a rocking member 25fulcrumed upon this stud at an intermediate point' provided' `at itsends with eyes 26. Steins 27 are mounted' for rotation within these eyesand project upwardly' from' inverted yokes 2 8', there beinga=supporting wheel 29journaled within-each of these yokes. Each wheelhasanV annular groove 30zof suiiicient width to readily receive thecurvedor switch plate`3, and an; inner groove 3l is alsoformedwithintlie peripheralportionofY each wheel and which -isio'fsuiicientwidth to reoeivet'he rail or cable`l'.

Guard fingers 32 are pivotally mounted within vtheyokes 28 and extenddownwardly below the"y whe-els 29landV at' opposite sides there-of,`theseiingers being capable ofreadi ily swingingin the directionV inwhich the wheels are4 traveling and being" normallypositioned'belowfthe*track section so as to prevent the'wheels fromjumping off ofthe section. However, when thev wheelis travelL ing,around" a curve, as upon one ofk the switch members 3, the outer guardlinger 32 will vswing upwardly andslip over those portions oftheftrackseotions l`and2'which pro# jectbeyondthe'o'uterA or convex edgeofl the switch member.

Aj guide loop 33 may be mounted on the flange" hanger 8 forfthe purposeoft prevent'- in'gjthedepending portion of' the lever l2 from swinginglaterally.' j

`It' will beapparent that whenthe device', whiclhas been described, is.traveling along thetrack', the wheels 29, by reason ofthe fact' thatthey are close togetherv and are connected by vertical pivotstotherocking ar1n.25,wvill travel freely alonganabruptly curved switchplate 3;' During this move:- mentvthe outer" guard fingers 32'will slipover the projecting end' portions' of thev track sectionsland2'andi'willreturn by gravity to their 'normal or depending positionsafter the swtchplate has been passed; By reason of the'constr-uctiondescribed, the carrier can be operated close to the corners of aba-rn orI When it" is desired to dump other' structure. j

the carrier at a predeterthe contents of a' bucketf engaging movementwhile the arcuatelportion 1'81of thev lever' l2y isbeingz depressed.-rlhis dei pression off the lever' results in the withdrawal of thelinger la from the notch 16, and, inasmuch as thebucket6is'\1nountedoft' center, itwill promptly swing 'to an Vinvertedposition as soon'- as thus released.- As;y has beenher'etefore Lpointedoutfv the 'lever1r l2 will return-l by gravity tolits* normalposition assoon as it leaves the trip.

Various changesffcanofI course be made in the construction and@arrangement of"` the parts without departing from the spirit orsacrilicing any ofthe' advantages ofi the f invention f asd'elii'ledfiny the appendedfclaims1 l. an overheadcarrier Vincluding 'ahanger, a rock arm, yokes: swiveled within the endif portions of ytherockf' arm', supporting wheelsjournaledwithin the'y'okes, guardsdepending "from l the yokes; and extending be;y lowf the supporting"wheels, said gu'a-rdsfl being pivotallyi mounted, v and blueketengag'-ing structure carried by the hanger.

2. An overhead carrier includingg centrally" oflset hanger, a= rock@arrn centrally fulcrun'iedf upon the" upper portion* of? the hanger,yokes -swiveledE withinj the=end porL tions of the arm and wheels'-journaledf within the yokes, guard lingers depending from the yokes andefr# tending belowV the' supportingy wheels,l and structure carried by'the hanger.

In testimony thatf Ifclai'mlthe foregoingas my# own, lf haveheretoatlixed' my signature in the presencef ofi two witnesses.:

JOHN G. LUWD;h lVitnessesz M. Si' THURBER; FL T. Davis.-`

of the v mounted for rotation about substantially vertical i axes,supportingV vafter it has thus been adjusted because, when

